Oh, one more thing: there's still less of a frenzy here than there is in places like, say, Bed-Stuy...home to the filthiest streets in the city. For our money, the PLG historic district has some of the cleanest streets...unless, that is, you want to move to Staten Island.

4 comments:

Very funny, no doubt! But at the same time, is this poll expressing anything meaningful beyond the bias of its authors? After all, aren't historic neighborhoods, by their very nature, "precious"?!! Most would agree that the use of filigree, fretwork and finery is not a utilitarian gesture.

I suspect something else is going on here. When the word "precious" is used to mean "affected or excessively refined" (rather than "extremely valuable"), it is too often the mere, knee-jerk defense of the uneducated or aesthetically-challenged set coming face to face with their feelings of inferiority. Think George Bush poo-pooing the French.

I admit, it's terminally annoying to be surrounded by spoiled, rich folks, especially if one is struggling. But the problem with the neighborhoods mentioned is not due to the "preciousness" of the residents or the chi-chi street life they get to experience. After all, who in their right mind doesn't love gourmet food and a relaxed, civilized existence?

The problem is that while the rich and spoiled get to enjoy all these wonderful shoppes and transcendant experiences, the rest of us are forced to slave away at work and eat Big Macs for lunch!

"Pristine?" Well, I guess everything's in the eye of the beholder. From my stoop, I see all manner of trash intentionally dropped, casually thrown from cars, and promotionally distributed by local merchants.

Maybe this is a good time to tip our hats to the occasional Saturday clean-up squad!